I currently have a weird closet, and I don't recommend it. Here's a layout:

- We have two doors into what's actually one big closet ... and we can both access the center bar.

- The biggest problems with this layout are that my closet door (the one on the left) knocks against my husband's nightstand, and if he's sleeping, I can't get into the closet without waking him.

- What does work in our closet is that we each have shoe racks "dead ahead" of the door /between the racks. That creates a more-difficult-to-reach corner, but we each have rarely worn items (i.e., evening wear) that gets pushed to the back.

Here's our layout for our new closet, about which I'm very excited:

- The bed will sit in kind of an "alcove", which is actually a bump-out on the side of the house ... and it will have windows on three sides.

- The closet, which will have no door, will be set apart from the bed so that if one of us is sleeping, the other can get dressed /put away clothes in the closet without disturbing the other. I like the fact that a light in the closet won't shine directly onto the bed -- I have that problem with the bathroom light right now, and I hate it.

- One side will be hanging clothes, the other will be drawers /shelves ... we will not need a dresser in the bedroom.

Details I intend to put into my new closet:

- A stool so I can reach things on the top shelf ... this could also be a small sitting spot.

- A hamper for dirty clothes.

- A pull-out valet rod so I can lay out clothes for the next day.

- A spot away from the other clothes for hanging up a once-worn nightgown or a pair of jeans that I'm going to wear again later.

- A mirror

- LED lights in the clothes rods so I can tell the difference between blue and black.

- The closet will be placed next door to the laundry room ... I had considered a door between the two, but it didn't make sense: The closet isn't small, but I didn't want to give up 3' of space for the door when it would only save half a dozen steps.

We did one reach in in the master suite, and another walk-in off of the master. Reason: one spouse wakes up before the other, so that way you can make sure your socks match if your the early bird! ;)

I'm a great believer in "separate but equal"...in MARRIAGE! I like separate closets and even separate bathrooms, if possible.

What I DON'T like is this new trend to have to walk through the bathroom to get to the closet. What happens if someone is in there for a LONG time an one must get dressed? Is there no such thing as modesty or privacy anymore? Why not reverse it - closet first and then bathroom. Guess what? I know why they don't do this - it takes up more space and costs more!

Most of the new "walk-in" closets are very cramped and a tight fit. Frankly, I'd prefer an old fashioned "reach-in" closet than a tight walk-in. At least I could turn around. When we remodeled our 2nd floor 32 years ago, we built two closets - a reach-in for my husband, and a walk-in for me. I prefer to pretty much get dressed in my closet, and have shelves for sweaters and a small chest of drawers for undies etc. We both were very pleased with the solution. It wasn't many years before my husband started taking his clothes for tomorrow downstairs and using the downstairs bathroom. He, too, preferred his privacy and not being rushed!

In my DS's last house, there was a minimal bath for him - shower, wash basin with countertop for shaving, toilet. He also had his own walk-in closet. Her bath was far larger and more lavish - a true dressing table, a shower, a soaking tub, a washbasin/vanity, a toilet, and her closet was twice the size of his. These things didn't save their marriage but it might not have lasted as long without them!

We have our closets first with DH having a reach in and mine being a walk in. DH has a dresser in the bedroom, and mine will be built in in my closet.

Additionally we have two doors into the bathroom. One from the master bedroom and a second from the master hallway so in the morning, DH can take his clothes from his closet, go into the bathroom, wash up, get dressed and leave through the bathroom while allowing me to sleep a few more minutes.

At night, I can go in from the hallway, wash up in the bathroom, disrobe, hang my clothes in my closet and then get into bed without disturbing DH.

We made some tweaks to the plan but the general idea is still the same.

I don't see the problem with walking through the bath, but probably because I like to get up in the morning, shower and get dressed all without going back in the bedroom and waking up DH (who is a very light sleeper). In my old house I had a huge bathroom with a bank of 18! drawers where I kept everything except. hanging clothes and it always bothered me to have to go back into the bedroom to finish getting dressed (unless I planned ahead and moved my clothes for the next day into the bath before bedtime and I did often do this if I had a particularly early morning the next day. In our current rental, we have a great bath, with separate 6' vanities on either side of a soaking tub and we each have a 6' well appointed reach-in across from our vanities. Once I get out of the shower everything I need is right there. I enter groggy and exit in a suit, made up and ready to head out to work!

In the new house we will have the layout below sharing closet for the first time in our marriage, but he will have his end and I will have mine. The top door is from the master bedroom. We will have shelves and drawers on on side. He will have double hangers on the other side with a seat under the high window. I'll probably have double hanging across my end opposite the window and single hanging across form the shelves and built ins. The laundry is about five steps from the bottom door just cutting through a corner of the (private) office. I can also go out that way to get to the kitchen without going back through the bedroom. On days when I am sleeping in and he is getting first tracks on the mountain, DH can do the same without waking me.

In our new house we will have one shared walkin closet that is in the bathroom. We prefer it this way. We have had the closet in the bathroom in all our houses until now in our rental. In our rental there are two smaller walk-in closets with doors in the bedroom. I can't stand it. DH gets up earlier than I do and I get woken up by the closet light as well as the sound of DH going in the closet then into the bathroom and then back into the closet when he forgot something. I prefer the closet to be accessible from the bathroom. I always get dressed in the bathroom never in the bedroom or closet. Our closet will be pretty simple. I don't have a lot of clothing or shoes. Actually DH has more clothes then I. Some rods to hang clothes and some shelving will do just fine for us.

Mrs Pete- my wife said the same thing you did when I said we could put a door between the closet and the laundry. It's not worth it to save the few steps

in our previous place we had the master closet off the master bath. I actually really liked it. probably because we had an enclosed WC..and no real door to the bath, it was an arched opening. so one person can use a bath, another- get dressed..or if my DH arrived very late(which he usually does) he could go and read in the closet:) if he fancied reading before going to sleep. the closet did have a door obviously, so no light would disturb me

also better for mornings since i'm an early riser, and he's not(unless he has to)

in our current place we didn't have an option to build it like that so the entrance is off the bedroom. we build the closet since we had added to the house and had an opportunity to insert certain things that weren't there before- rather big walk-in closet, linen closet, big master bath, etc

we share it of course. which is great, that's how it's always tidy:) whenever one shares something with me he can be sure he'll find his things afterwards..;)

we had a hamper in the previous place (a big fabric one..I made sure it's pretty lol), this time we were able to get a wall system on Craigslist which had a build in hamper

I don't have that much jewellery..have more than I wear still, but I store it in a special box, and the ones I wear most often-on a little tray hidden in one of the drawers

I had the most wonderful dressing room when we lived in LA. I really don't like walkin closets as unless seldom worn clothes are covered, they get dust on the shoulders. What I had in LA, was a dressing room filled with various configurations of reach-in closets, all with doors. There was a fabulous closet for handbags, one for shoes, drawers for undies and foldable so, a closet with deep shelves for sweaters, a closet with the rod up high for formal wear, a two rack closet for my husband, one with a bar on top for his shirts and drawers below for socks and underwear with shoes below that. There was also a nice big window with CA shutters for light with a window seat below -a place to sit to put on shoes. Plus, there was a dressing table and a sink. The bath was off this - another sink, shower, separate tub, and toilet - window in it, too. Oh, how I miss this! I want built-in cupboards and reach in's with doors. I don't want it to look like a boutique.

Our house is very small by GW standards, and we tried to make every space efficient. Our master closet is sort of between the DR and MBR. Actually, there's a hall of sorts with the laundry machines, with the BR to the left, and the closet area to the right. There's a swinging door between the DR and this hall, so it's easy to keep hidden when we have guests. We LOVE having the laundry so close to the closet! The closet itself is about 7-1/2' wide by 10' long. I have one side; my wife has the other (longer) side. Plenty of room.

We have had houses where we had separate closets and then one where we shared a master closet (it had a row of dressers down the middle). Our new design is back to the his and her separate masters (or as the architect calls them the "owner's closet", master is out of fashion).

Separate closets, each is secondary bedroom sized. The framer thought we were crazy to have closets that large, yet both closets are filled. (My husband has as many clothes and shoes as I do!). I would have actually gone larger, large enough to fit a seating / dressing area. In our beach house we have to share a closet and I absolutely hate it.

Anglophillia -- Our current bathroom isn't big and doesn't even have a toilet closet, but we haven't run into any privacy issues in the last 5 years. If someone needs to take a long time in the bathroom, it's usually a "toilet matter" and that person goes in the other bathroom nearby.

Our new house will have a toilet closet to give that privacy and the actual closet will be large enough for someone to get dressed in... the first draft size is comparable to a small bedroom.

MojoMom -- similar story here! I've always used the bathroom/ closet as my dressing area and never had a need to go into the bedroom for that. I was mostly curious to see if I was completely looking over a benefit of having it laid out the other way.

Our new closet will also have a his side/ her side, which I feel should work pretty well for us.

Rockybird -- Looks like a very nice closet you have there! I'm debating on an island/ peninsula too.

I'm pretty sure my closet will never look like a beautiful boutique though. You know... luggage and all the random things that accumulate in there!

MrsPete -- great feedback! Thank you!! Cool ideas too!
I'd also like a mirror; maybe on the back of the door so it doesn't take up valuable room.

Glad to be helpful. In our new closet I'm planning a full-length mirror at the far end of the closet. It'll fit nicely at the end of the "walkway". By putting no actual storage at the end of the walkway, we'll have full access to the clothes on both sides.

But we currently have a dresser and clothes in our bedroom because the closet isn't big enough.

This was a main concern in designing our closet. Currently we have a large dresser in the bedroom ... modest walk-in closets on the other side of the bedroom ... and a spot in the bathroom where we store once-worn pants, etc. Our new closet (though it may not look like it in the rough sketch-up in my above post) is going to be big enough to house ALL our clothing. One place to put things away, one place to find everything.

Mrs Pete- my wife said the same thing you did when I said we could put a
door between the closet and the laundry. It's not worth it to save the
few steps

In a different lay-out, I'd have gone with the door, but in our case, it would only have saved half a dozen steps. Our laundry will be adjacent but separate.

What I DON'T like is this new trend to have to walk through the bathroom to get to the closet.

I'll take a mid-way stance on this topic. When it's done wrong, it's awful:

- I don't like a closet at the end of a long, narrow bathroom. It means you must thread your way through the entire bathroom to reach the closet ... and often that'll be done with a laundry basket in your hand.

But when it's done right, it really works:

- A closet just inside the bathroom door would work wonderfully well. The door would be just a step inside, so your clothes would be easily accessible from either the bedroom or the bathroom.

- Or if you must place the closet at the far end of the bathroom, the situation could be saved by opening a second door into the closet. I've seen a couple plans that're laid out mudroom/laundry ... master closet ... master bath, and that could work out wonderfully well, especially for someone who comes into the house dirty. Done right, this could make for wonderful circulation throughout the master suite.

Additionally we have two doors into the bathroom.

I think this works because the two doors provide excellent circulation -- bathroom and closet access from the bedroom or from the hallway. Note that rooms with good circulation often have "circular" pathways.

I am sure they are out of my price range, but here is a pic of a beautiful closet by them:

Price range or not, I just don't see the point in that much space in a closet ... nor do I understand the point of owning enough clothes to fill it. Maybe I'm just to practical to find this attractive.

Our new design is back to the his and her separate masters (or as the
architect calls them the "owner's closet", master is out of fashion).

Yeah, "his and hers" is also considered passe' because some closets are "hers and hers" or "his and his" ... owners' closet is plural but gender-neutral. Personally, I think we're pushing political correctness too far, but what do I know?

I am still working on getting my master suite right. But hoping to have a door from the hallway that leads to a laundry hall with his and hers closets adjacent to the washer/dryer. From that same hallway, a doorway (maybe no actual door) to the master bath. The master bedroom would have its own door to the main hallway and connect directly to the bathroom. I am my closet somewhere between 7*10 and 7*14 and hubbys closet around 7*7. Closets will likely end up storing some items other than clothing. I just never want to run out of closet room again! Also, kids rooms will be in the basement. My mother has a larger closet than I am planning and still stores additional clothing in the 3 large "guest bedroom closets". I want to keep all 4 season clothing in my closet versus the move winter clothes to 2nd closet during summer..etc. In addition to nice clothes and work clothes, I also need farm work clothes for taking care of my cows, chickens, garden, and whatever other craziness I get into.

We have a huge master closet and I love it. It's 14.5x17. We have double hanging rows on both sides and along the back. Our closet is right off the front of our bathroom (you don't walk through the bathroom) so the kids can play in there while I get ready, get fully dressed in there, etc.

B Carey -- I hear ya! I'm ok with having space to grow into. My MIL has clothes in every closet in her house and I definitely don't want that! lol!
We bought an old farm, and I'm sure we'll get some chickens and other animals once we move in. And there's a wooded area where my husband intends to deer hunt... so we need the extra space for those kinds of clothes too!

Andria -- Wow! Your closet sounds awesome!

Closets in a bathroom just skeeve me out. We have one big (by our standards) closet that's really more of a room - it has a window as well. It's about 12x11. It's not wide enough for an island, but we don't need the extra storage. We love it.

FreeOscar --- what about it skeeves you out? Your closet sounds like a nice size!

We are moving into our new build in a couple weeks and love how the closets have turned out! We did a large cased opening from the master bath into hers and his closets. Mine is large with an island in the center and the most beautiful crystal chandelier. Also have some windows to allow some natural light in but does not shine directly on clothes. Lots of hanging, shelving, drawers, built in armoire and area for shoes. His closet is smaller with ample room. There is also a hidden door that leads to the hall from that side of the closet. This enables either of us access to the closet without having to enter through the bath. We get up and go to sleep at different times, so was important to have that option.